In 1807, three years after Lewis and
Clark first noted the presence of a salt lick in the
area, Nathan and Daniel Boone (sons of the pioneer Daniel
Boone) blazed a trail from Saint Charles to a point
just northwest of present day Boonville. The road terminated
at the Boones' salt lick. A few years later, there was
a movement to make the trail a wagon road and in 1827
this was done. The salt lick was used up until 1833;
a state historic site now preserve's the Boones' small
settlement.
1912 map of Boone's Lick Trail and the Santa Fe Trail.
High resolution version of
the map.
Route 40 roughly parallels the Boone's
Lick Train from Saint Charles to Franklin, Missouri.
Boones Lick State Historic Site (left) and the Missouri
River bottom lands near the lick (right).
For more information, visit the Boone's
Lick State Historic Site.
